The Northern Grand Duke’s Crazy Son-in-Law

17. The Damned Bastard

“So, you’re not from the North?”

“Yes, I’m from a city in the eastern part of the Central Region. I studied under a sorcerer.”

“As I thought, you have no foundation in magic. Continue.”

“Yes, after studying magic…”

“Excuse me, but let’s skip the part about why you came here. Your life story isn’t to my taste.”

“Yes, so I was working as an exclusive sorcerer for a noble in a castle in the upper part of the Central Region, when one day some masked men came looking for me.”

“Masks?”

“Yes, they were masks that looked like crows.”

Crow masks. Galahad muttered softly. They were familiar to him. They used to be my business.

“The Black Magic Society?”

“Yes, I see you know about them. They asked me if I wanted to get the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“They’ve changed their methods. So that’s why you came to the North?”

“Yes.”

“So, you were ordered to take the Earth Dog monsters and dig up the ground? And there’s a sorcerer named Karl and an unidentified person inside? Twelve Earth Dogs?”

“Yes, I’ve told you everything. So please now-.”

“Hmm, tell me from the beginning again.”

“I just did! This is the fourth time already! Damn it!”

“Oh dear, you’re not quite persuaded yet. You’re quite stubborn for someone who doesn’t look it.”

“Agh! I was wrong! I was wrong! I’ll tell you again-!”

“Good, will you tell me a little faster this time?”

****

‘The Black Magic Society, huh.’

Galahad muttered softly, a mana cigarette in his mouth.

There was no such thing as black magic. Magic was just magic. But the reason it was called black magic was because their methods were different from those of ordinary sorcerers.

Black sorcerers praised the Mazoku as the origin of magic and ate humans in the same way that they did. Moreover, they were anarchists who denied the Empire.

They were a group that the Information Bureau paid special attention to, and at the same time, they were a card that was often used.

For example, if there was a noble who had secretly evaded taxes, they would quietly take care of it and blame it on the black sorcerers to instill fear.

Galahad, who didn’t think their existence helped to stop the Mazoku King, intended to take care of all of them, but he had never been able to catch the main body.

I wondered where they were hiding, but-.

‘They were in the North.’

Galahad flicked his cigarette. Gray ash fell beneath it.

‘So did the monster trainer join the Black Magic Society? Or did they find the monster trainer’s relic?’

It was quite an important question.

In order to solve it, I first had to catch the guys digging the tunnel.

‘A sorcerer stronger than this guy, an unidentified person, and twelve Earth Dogs. There could be more.’

It was information that Bern had given me. He had checked it several times, so it couldn’t be a lie.

However, Bern didn’t seem to be very high-ranking. There could be forces that he didn’t know about.

Bern’s superior, Karl, wasn’t a problem.

Even if he was stronger than this guy, he was still a wizard, so he was no match for Galahad. The only mage that could pose a threat to Galahad was the one holed up in the Twilight Magic Tower over there.

What would happen if the twelve earth hounds rolled over the members?

‘The unknown guy is the problem.’

He was quite a big variable.

The safest thing to do would be to wait for Adrianna, but…

He had already dealt with one. There was a chance that they would notice and run away.

The magic circle engraved on the monster’s stomach. None of those involved could be missed.

Ever since he had arrived in the north… no, ever since he had left the Intelligence Agency, it seemed like there hadn’t been a single day with good weather.

‘Good.’

Galahad counted and checked while flicking his cigarette butt. And just as he was about to count again, he heard footsteps from behind.

Heavy, yet steady steps. It was Gilbert.

Whether the magic circle engraved on the monster was a sensitive subject or not, his steps were faster than usual.

“What happened?”

Gilbert’s sword was covered in blood. He must have come in a hurry, as Gilbert, who always cleaned his sword diligently, hadn’t even wiped off the blood.

After him, Damian, Tom, and Gwen appeared in turn. They were all in a terrible state. Damian, in particular, was completely red.

“It took longer than I thought.”

“…I guess it’s because the opponent was a monster. The 1st Battalion mainly fights against the Demon. Monsters are usually dealt with by regular soldiers or knights with large weapons.”

It seemed like they were stronger than humans. It wasn’t hard to understand. After all, they were short compared to the black monsters.

“That’s a plausible excuse.”

That wouldn’t be the only problem.

Damian and Gilbert had completely different personalities. Damian was a natural beast, while Gilbert was an upright knight. Plus, there was Gwen and Tom, who were just trailing behind like scarecrows.

‘I guess I should let them get used to it on the way.’

The best way to get used to something was to do it in the field.

“So, what happened?”

Gilbert asked again.

“They were digging the ground with the earth hounds. There’s a wizard and an unknown guy behind them. There might be more.”

“A tunnel?”

Gilbert’s face grew serious as Galahad nodded.

“Has there ever been a case like this before?”

“Monsters usually break or climb over the walls. However, sometimes, tunnels like this are discovered. That’s why there are always monsters or the demons inside the walls.”

“There’s one more possibility. It could be a quarry.”

“…A quarry?”

“Magic stones are popular in the capital.”

Gilbert grimaced.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we catch the guy who engraved the magic circle on the demon? We also need to block that sinister tunnel.”

“We definitely have to catch him.”

“It would be good to call for backup, but there’s a high chance that they’ll run away in the meantime. We’ve already caught one wizard and four earth hounds. They’ll notice soon enough.”

“We can’t do that!”

‘He’s reacting strongly.’

The Gilbert he had seen so far was a man who rarely showed his emotions. But now, emotions were written all over Gilbert’s face.

Emotions were a flaw. A weakness and—at the same time—a motivator.

‘I guess that magic circle carved into the demon has a bit more meaning to the Northern knights.’

Galahad’s eyes narrowed. Then he smiled.

He had no intention of letting it go in the first place. It was the reward for their first mission, and at the same time, it was a connection to the Necromancer Society that was like a group of mice, and a clue to the demon trainer.

He intended to go in alone.

He was confident enough.

“Well, shall we save the North from crisis? Are you all ready to be heroes?”

Gwen looked like she was about to cry, and Tom looked like he was about to throw up. Gilbert had the expression of someone who had just been stabbed with a sword.

Squeak—. Gilbert put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The cry of a bird was heard, and a large hawk flew down. It was a magnificent hawk with a white head.

The hawk flew down naturally and perched on Gilbert’s shoulder. Gwen, who had asked if she could touch it and been refused, looked dejected.

‘A messenger bird—. Typical of the North.’

Gilbert opened the tube on the hawk’s leg and took out a piece of paper. Then he wrote something and put it back in. The hawk flew away again.

“I’ve contacted Lady Adrianna.”

“Well done. Then let’s get moving right away.”

Galahad shook the snow off his shoulders and took the lead.

Then, Gilbert asked softly.

“What happened to that guy earlier?”

Galahad waved his staff instead of answering.

Gilbert didn’t ask any more questions.

****

When they arrived at the place the guy had told them about, a huge cave greeted them.

The surrounding mana concentration was quite dense.

‘Did they sell the stone? Demons will be demons.’

Galahad stuck his tongue out at the huge hole. Then, he sensed something at the entrance.

“Wait, stop.”

Gilbert, who was leading the way, stopped abruptly. Galahad narrowed his eyes and spread his mana here and there.

“An alarm spell has been set up. What a meticulous bastard.”

“Please remove it quickly.”

“You speak too easily. If alarm spells were that easy to disarm, would they be alarm spells? They’d be ‘welcome’ spells.”

“Can’t you undo it?”

“No, I already did.”

“Then why······.”

“If you get too arrogant because of me, other wizards might feel wronged. It’s to prevent that.”

“Are you joking even in this situation?”

“I’m serious.”

Galahad looked at the magic circle carved on one side as if to cover it. A crude stone was embedded in the center.

“A magic stone.”

“Is this the magic stone? It just looks like a stone-.”

“If you look closely, it’s faintly glowing.”

Galahad carefully removed the magic stone. The value of a magic stone was judged by the amount of its faint light, and this one was of the lowest grade.

Dispelling the enchantment, he stepped inside.

Galen measured the breadth of the cave. About this size-.

“Three earth hounds at most. Just the right size.”

“What’s the right size?”

Instead of answering, Galen simply raised the corners of his lips.

“Now, Gilbert and Damian will go ahead. I’ll be the rear guard. Tom, you carry the shield.”

“…What about me?!”

Galen observed Gwen silently. To relay magic efficiently, Gwen had to be the one in the lead.

Feeling intense powerlessness, she had to desperately crave magic as if grasping a devil’s hand for it to be more efficient. It was still lacking.

However, that didn’t mean she was completely useless.

He dug out the magic stone part from the staff he had brought. The top part was large, so the size was just right. He looked at the magic circle engraved on the staff for a moment and scratched a few places appropriately.

Then he held it out to Gwen.

“Hold the end here.”

“······Yes?”

After hesitating for a moment, Gwen grabbed the end of the staff.

“Agh! What is this? It feels weird!”

“That’s how it is.”

By fixing the magic circle that draws mana from the magic stone, he was able to use the rice straw Gwen splendidly.

‘It’s a big, walking, automatically filled magic stone. The only downside is that it’s a bit noisy.’

Galen looked at Gwen with satisfaction.

Since there was an unknown guy behind him, he planned to conserve the mana of the demons as much as possible.

“Adultery is punishable by death in the north.”

“Stop talking nonsense and focus.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue and stepped forward.

“Now, the first mission and the first training day.”

****

‘Why the hell am I here···.’

Tom gulped.

The opponent was an earth hound. An earth hound!

Even if only one appeared, a platoon would be overturned, and if two appeared, the platoon would disappear. It was an earth hound that jumped out of the ground and bit people, so it was also called a ground ghost.

He was walking into a place with twelve of those earth hounds.

Even though there were Damian and Gilbert, they had a hard time facing just three earth hounds earlier.

Furthermore, Tom was a regular soldier, unlike them.

“Now, I think you’ve noticed! Everyone, get ready!”

At that moment, the cave shook noisily.

Earth hounds could be seen running frantically from afar. They didn’t know when they were underground, but their presence was considerable when they ran from outside.

“Damian, you’re a natural beast. You go deep. Think only of yourself.”

“Yes-hyung.”

The conversation between Damian and Galen was truly peaceful.

“And Sir Gilbert, you don’t have to worry about the rear.”

Gilberton creased his brows instead of replying. The blue aura on his hand holding the sword surged violently.

“Tom, when I call you, rush out and block it with your shield. Make them think you’re just throwing your body at them.”

Block with a shield and throw his body at them? Tom swallowed the retort that had come to his lips.

At that moment, the cave was filled with earth dogs. Their characteristically sharp teeth chattered.

“Listen up, everyone. Damian!”

Damian rushed out. His movements were amazing, as always.

Gilberton was in a situation where he had to block three earth dogs by himself. It was worse than before.

How on earth was he supposed to do this?

“Dance of Flames.”

“······Ugh!”

Something huge flew past him.

It was a giant pillar of fire, large enough to fill the cave.

How could a human cast such magic? Tom gaped in admiration.

Kyarurururuk-! The earth dogs that were caught in the flames thrashed about. The dark cave was instantly lit up.

The gruesome figures of the earth dogs were revealed in all their nakedness. The pus flowing out from between their melting shells—it was a sight that was terrifying even in dreams.

Damian slid down into the flames and disappeared, as if he had thrown himself into the fire.

A blue light surged from Gilberto’s sword. He sliced off the head of an earth dog with ease. The earth dog next to it tried to crush Gilberto.

Gilberton calmly stepped back and slashed his sword sideways. It was different from before, when he had been forced to advance.

Pputduk-. The ogre’s foot was lightly cut. A scream erupted from the earth dog’s mouth. Gilberto’s sword moved smoothly. The earth dog continued to advance.

Gilberto’s sword was sharp, but it was small compared to the earth dog.

“Now! Tom!”

Tom rushed out at once.

The earth dog’s foot rose up as the ground split open. Kuung! Tom rolled over and over backwards from the heavy impact on his shield.

He desperately regained his senses and got up to see Gilberto cutting down the earth dog.

He had dealt with three earth dogs, and it had been smoother than before.

There was only one thing that had changed—.

“Good job! Sir Gilberto, did you see that? Tom can block them too.”

Galahad had joined them.

Galahad’s magic was threatening, but that wasn’t the reason for the current situation.

The key was Galahad’s positioning.

He had made Damian go deeper, preventing him from getting in Gilberto’s way, and he was actively using Tom to free up Gilberto’s feet.

Only then did Tom realize that Gilberto had been tied down because of them.

“Tom, are you alright?”

“Yes! I’m fine!”

At Gilberto’s heavy voice, Tom spat out the blood in his mouth and raised his shield.

He could see the gruesome, burnt earth dogs beyond Gilberto.

Their furious howls filled the cave. His legs trembled from the pressure, and sweat beaded on his back. Was this hell?

Why am I here? I’m just a regular soldier—.

“I’ll shine a light every now and then. Don’t turn back, no matter what.”

That curt command made the situation seem trivial.

Instead of attacking, he could only get hit once and roll back, but that was all he could do.

“Light!”

A bright light poured from behind along with a calm voice.

Tom tightened the string of the shield.

****

‘What the hell is this······.’

Karl bit his lips.

The plan was perfect. He had diverted the eyes of the North and received the ground dog monster.

He found an unguarded area between the watchtowers and set up a place there.

But why-.

“The ground dog is being pushed back. Hmm, is it a failure? I didn’t expect this.”

Karl immediately knelt down at the monotonous voice he heard from the side.

“No! I can finish it! Just one chance-.”

The opponent stepped on Karl’s hanging hand. It was painful, but Karl endured desperately because he knew he would die if he let go of this hand.

His face was not visible because he was wearing a crow mask.

“Do you know who that person in the lead is? It’s Knight Gilbert. He’s someone who has caused quite a lot of damage to our side. Thanks to him, there’s a large bounty on his head. I couldn’t deal with him because he was with Adrianna-. You’re lucky. If it wasn’t for Gilbert, I wouldn’t have had a reason to come out.”

The crow mask spoke in a neutral voice. Karl nodded for the time being, not knowing what he was talking about.

“How many magic stones do you have left?”

Karl hurriedly took out all the magic stones he had gathered and handed them out.

They were magic stones that he wouldn’t be able to eat if he failed anyway. There was no need to save them now.

“······Should I wake him up?”

At Karl’s question, the crow mask lowered his gaze.

“You want to call him? Do you want to die?”

“W-well······.”

“You’re such a scaredy-cat. Don’t worry. With this many magic stones in my hand, do you think Gilbert will be able to handle it?”

The crow mask laughed sinisterly.

“But what if someone other than Gilbert-.”

“Someone else? Oh, there were those scumbags in the back. They must be Gilbert’s soldiers. I guess they have something to see······.”

The crow, who had been speaking like that, suddenly stopped.

The crow stretched his neck out. It looked like he was confirming something far away.

The crow, who had been like that for a while, turned his head to the side. Pputdeuk-. A strange sound was heard.

“What are you doing?”

“······Yes?”

“Go wake him up right now!”

Karl jumped up at the crow’s scream.

He had been told not to wake him up earlier, so why all of a sudden······.

“Did he chase you all the way here? What a relentless bastard!”

The crow shouted in a trembling voice.

There was a neat man in his gaze.

“Wake him up quickly! Wake him up! Just open the cave! What are you doing! You son of a b*tch! Do you want to lose?! That- that damn brat! He actually came all the way here!”

At the crow’s cry, Kal trembled.

Just who was that man-.